When Ledisi performs, she has a wish list for her audiences. "I hope people are entertained and they feel joy," the R&B singer says. "I want to make you laugh, make you dance. I want you to feel good, that you spent your money well."

When Ledisi faces a crowd of admirers after a concert, she’s likely to make a beeline for the ordinary people.

The ones who don’t expect any special privileges. The ones who scrimped and saved to buy their tickets. The ones who came to find inspiration and hope.

“It’s always been a purpose for me, to spread light,” says Ledisi, an R&B singer, songwriter and author. “It really feels good. I have a gift and I’m sharing it.”

That’s the ultimate goal of her “BGTY” tour, named for a song that encourages people, particularly female ones, to be good to themselves.

“I always talk about hope and love and empowerment to women,” Ledisi says. “I talk about that in every song. It’s about being true to yourself.”

Such messages are infused into the lyrics of “Pieces of Me,” Ledisi’s 2011 record, and they’re essential to her new book, “Better than Alright: Finding Peace, Love and Power.”

Ledisi, born Ledisi Anibade Young, is an artist on a mission, and it’s not just about selling records, earning award nominations or gaining fame. She’s experienced all of these, as her career has gained prominence and her music has reached more listeners over the past five years.

Get the girl giggling -- it’s easy to do -- and Ledisi will tell you she’d like her performances to have “the energy of Tina Turner, the sultriness of Luther Vandross, the boldness of Nina Simone and the sassiness of Dinah Washington, all rolled into one.”

Her heart, though, yearns to make a deep and lasting connection with the audience. To entertain, yes. But to combine that with soulful achievements.

That’s why Ledisi revealed some highly personal stories in her book -- including childhood abuse by her stepfather -- and detailed her journey of healing and forgiveness. The New Orleans native also discussed her family’s struggles during Hurricane Katrina and their path to recovery after the storm.

“I checked with my family a lot, to make sure it was OK,” Ledisi says. “They said, ‘You have to tell everything, talk about the darker moments.’ All the things in the book, I’m past. Writing it pushed me to be even more transparent. I had to really let myself be open, and that’s been one of the greatest moments for me, becoming a writer.”

No wonder fans reach out to her at concerts and book signings, eager to share their own tales and talk about ways to overcome strife. It’s likely to happen in Birmingham on Sunday, as well, after Ledisi’s appearance at the Alys Stephens Center.

“People tell me their stories, they do,” she says. “It happens a lot, and I try to listen to most of it.”

Some signings stretch to four hours and use the ink of three pens, but Ledisi isn’t complaining. “The response,” she says, “it’s blown me away.”

In fact, it reminds Ledisi of her own reaction to a favorite self-help book, “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz.

Ledisi will perform at the Essence Music Festival on July 7, the day before her Birmingham concert.

“I must have given away over 400 copies of that book,” she told The Birmingham News in 2008, before her debut at the City Stages festival. “It tells me not to dwell on the past, to forgive, to be impeccable with my words, to think before I act, not to take things personally. I associate that whole book to everything I do.”

Now, Ledisi says, her meet-and-greets are dotted with fans who’ve embraced her book in a similar way. That makes her feel blessed, Ledisi says, and it makes her mom feel proud.

She has a history of checking in with her mother, singer Nyra Dynese, after every significant accomplishment -- from performing at the White House to headlining the Beacon Theatre -- and that “completes the moment,” Ledisi says.

“For my mom, everything goes back to the people,” Ledisi says. “What did the people do? Did they clap? Did they laugh when you told that joke? And sometimes I’ll say, “I don’t remember. I was in the moment, but I think they laughed.’ Sometimes, I’m just thinking: Wow, they all came to see me.”

Her Alabama performances have a special resonance, Ledisi says, because her biological father, soul singer Larry Sanders, is from Mobile.

“Birmingham’s always been sweet to me,” she says.

Mindful of her Southern roots, and ready to dazzle the crowd, Ledisi promises that Sunday’s show will pull from her signature material -- “Pieces of Me,” “Alright,” “In the Morning,” “Stay Together” -- and feature all four costumes changes built into her stage show.

“I only did three last night,” she says, laughing. “They help out, show you my personality. There’s the Tina Turner part, that energy. There’s the rocker part, but grown-up and sexy. There’s the sultry and sophisticated part. There’s the part that’s fun and loud, but still classy. The costumes reflect the songs; they’re all pieces of Ledisi.”